Several rounds of talk between the representatives of Fateh and Hamas were conducted in Cairo under the Egyptian sponsorship. Representatives of different Palestinian factions participated in these talks but no agreement to end the Palestinian division and achieve a reconciliation has been reached yet.

The Palestinian Authority has stopped communication with the US administration and called for expanding the auspices of the negotiation between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. This Palestinian move came as a result to the declaration made by the US President, Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the US embassy there. Meanwhile the US Administration every now and then declares that they will launch the “Deal of the Century” which will offer a final solution to the Palestinian question.

The Results

Following are the results of the Palestinian Public Opinion Poll no. 57 conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from 25-27 October 2018. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.

This poll undertakes the Palestinian national reconciliation, ending the Palestinian division, the US President’s (Donald Trump) recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the US Embassy there, the possibilities of conducting presidential and legislative elections and the political affiliations of Palestinian people.

The sample included 1362 persons whose age group is 18 and above and who have the right to vote. The enclosed questionnaire was distributed on 862 persons from the West Bank and 500 persons from the Gaza Strip. The sample was drawn randomly and the margin of error is about ±3%; still 2.5% of the members of the sample refused to answer the questionnaire.

The General Results:

38.5% of respondents said that they are optimistic about signing a reconciliation agreement in the near future.

27.5% of respondents believed that the sides of the Palestinian dialogue, particularly Fateh and Hamas, are not concerned with ending the Palestinian split.

39.9% of respondents believed that the reason behind not reaching a Palestinian reconciliation agreement is that some people seek to achieve personal interests; 38.9% believed that the reason has to do with seeking factional interests.

12.6% of respondents believed that the delay in the signing of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement is because of pressures exerted by some Arab sides; 16.3% believed that it is because of some regional pressures, and 31.9% believed that it is because of the factional interests of Fateh and Hamas.

49.8% of respondents said that the most capable procedure to end the Palestinian division is for Palestinian people to go down to the streets and to hold sit ins in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, 24.4% said that the most capable procedure is pressure exerted by the Palestinian movements and organizations, 5% said it is pressure exerted by trade unions, and 8.4% said it is pressure exerted by civil society institutions.

29.4% of respondents believed that the Palestinian reconciliation can only be achieved by Palestinian internal dialogue; 15.8% said that it can only be achieved by some intervention from Arab countries to bring together the two points of view of Fateh and Hamas.

26.7% of respondents believed that Hamas is the part which benefits most from deferring the implementation of the reconciliation agreement; 17.6% believed Fateh is the party which benefits most.

35.8% of respondents said that they are satisfied with the Egyptian role in sponsoring the reconciliation talks and their attempts to end the Palestinian division.

60.3% of respondents supported Egypt if it exerts pressure on Fateh and Hamas to end the Palestinian division.

45.2% of respondents supported conducting negotiations between Hamas and Israel to reach a long truce in the Gaza Strip.

42.1% of respondents believed that conducting negotiations between Hamas and Israel to reach a long truce will lead to not achieving a national reconciliation and not ending the Palestinian division.

After the US declaration to move its embassy to Jerusalem, 23.8% of respondents believed that the two-state solution is still viable; 70% believed it is not anymore viable.

After the US declaration to move its embassy to Jerusalem, 89.7% of respondents believed that the USA is not any more an impartial peace broker between Israel and the Palestinians.

53.7% of respondents supported the Palestinian Authority's call for enlarging the negotiation sponsorship between the Palestinians and Israel or finding a new international mechanism to sponsor negotiation with Israel.

77.2% of respondents believed that the "deal of the century" that the US president intends to launch aims at ransacking the Palestinian issue.

73.2% of respondents supported the position of the Palestinian leadership to freeze communications with the US administration following the US president's declaration that Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel and the imminent moving of the US embassy there.

74.8% of respondents believed that stopping the American aid to the Palestinian Authority will lead to a deterioration in the economic and living conditions in the Palestinian territories.

Of respondents believed that stopping the US financial support of the****** UNRWA aims at:

85.7% Putting pressure on the Palestinian leadership so that they accept “the deal of the century”

86.9% Closing the file of refugees and cancelling “the right of return”

84.9% Weakening the Palestinian position in their demands for the right of refugees.

81.3% Weakening the Palestinian Authority’s general stand.

68.4% of respondents believed that the Nation-State Law (Bill) which says that Israel is a state for Jewish people only is a threat to the Arab citizens in Israel.

26% of respondents believed that there is a possibility for the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders while 68% said that there is no such possibility.

25.4% of respondents supported the establishment of one state that includes both Palestinians and Israelis in historical Palestine; 70.1% rejected

39.1% of respondents supported the creation of a Palestinian state on the entire area of the 1967 borders as a final solution for the Palestinian cause while 55.3% said that there is no such possibility.

22.5% of respondents supported the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with some land exchange as a final solution for the Palestinian cause while 71.4% rejected.

21% of respondents supported the creation of a binational state for Arabs and Jews on historic Palestine as a final solution for the Palestinian cause while 74.5% rejected.

62.3% of respondents supported providing international protection for the Palestinian people who have been under occupation since 1967.

50.6% of respondents supported the rise of a peaceful, unarmed intifada in the Palestinian Territories; 46% rejected that

36.2% of respondents supported the rise of an armed intifada in the Palestinian Territories; 59.7% rejected that.

24.7% of respondents saw that if a Palestinian intifada takes place, a peaceful and unarmed intifada will be the best form of resistance that would serve the Palestinian cause, 16.9% said that an armed intifada would serve the Palestinian cause better, 22.9% said that both forms are useful for the Palestinian cause; 31.5% said that both forms are useless.

61.3% of respondents assessed the performance of the National Unity Government as “good” and better than “good”.

63.3% of respondents assessed the performance of the Palestinian Presidency as “good” and better than “good”.

55.4% of respondents supported dissolving the Palestinian Legislative Council and 31% rejected.

29.4% of respondents expected that if elections are conducted in the present time in the Palestinian Territories, they will be fair.

76.2% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming presidential elections. From among those who said they will participate, 34.1% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidate; 13.2% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidate.

75.6% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming legislative elections. From among those who said they will participate, 34.1% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidates; 14.4% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidates.

If PLC elections are to be conducted, 36% of respondents expected the winning of Fateh movement; 14.3% expected the winning of Hamas.

79.7% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming municipality and local council elections. From among those who said they will participate, 25.8% said that they will give their votes to Fateh’s candidates, 11.0% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidates and 14.1% said they will give their votes to the representative of their family or clan.

38.6% of respondents said that the current political, security and economic circumstances compel them to desire to emigrate.

46.8% of respondents expressed fear for their lives under the present circumstances.

65.8% of respondents said that they are pessimistic about the general Palestinian situation at this stage.

60.6% of respondents said that they neither feel safe for themselves nor for their families and properties under the current circumstances.